A review committee headed by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, in its meeting on July 29, made a decision to withdraw the additional 182 cases after the community leaders repeatedly urged the State government to “sympathetically review the cases”, the State information department informed the media. The very important Vibrant Gujarat Summit is being held in January 2017 and elections are due later in the year.
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“I again request party leadership to relieve me of my responsibilities, grateful for giving me opportunity to serve people of state”, she added.
The unwritten convention in the party, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in recent times has been that those attaining the age of 75 have to quit the post.
“In the past few years, our seniors have started a tradition not to accept any post after seventy-five years of age, which is exemplary”, she said.
“I have asked the party leadership to relieve me all the charges since I’ turning 75”, Patel said on social media.
“She (Anandiben Patel) has cited age reasons”.
His next tweet said, “Anandi ji’s resignation is the victory for AAP’s fight against corruption in Gujarat”.
Gujarat votes soon for its next government and local BJP leaders have been complaining, as ndtv.com reported in May, that Anandiben has steered the party’s ebbing popularity in a state the party has governed for over a decade. In 2015, Taluk Panchayat elections too BJP lost to Congress, with 77 seats, while Congress won 151.
This decision by the Ananadiben government comes ahead of the 2017 state assembly elections and is a smart move as it’s sure to please an integral number of voters.
Recently, the dalit uprising after the Una trashing incident had also dented the image of party.
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A company owned by Anar Patel, Anandiben’s daughter, reportedly owns 400 acres of land in Amreli- 250 of which was reportedly allotted to the company at an official rate of Rs 15 per square metre. The transaction between Anar’s company and Gujarat govt dates back to 2010-2011, when Anandiben was the Revenue Minister and Narendra Modi was the CM of Gujarat.
